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1921-S Buffalo Nickel 5 Cent Very Good VG
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1921-S Buffalo Nickel 5 Cent Very Good VG
Secure an important key date Buffalo Nickel with the 1921-S Buffalo Nickel 5 Cent Very Good VG. Struck at the San Francisco Mint more than a century ago, this historic U.S. coin had a limited original mintage of only 1,557,000 pieces, making the 1921-S one of the recognized regular-issue key dates of the Buffalo Nickel series. Offered in Very Good (VG) condition, this circulated example provides collectors with an accessible opportunity to fill one of the more challenging date-and-mint positions in a Buffalo Nickel collection.
The Buffalo Nickel, also known as the Indian Head Nickel, was introduced in 1913 and remained in production through 1938. Designed by renowned American sculptor James Earle Fraser, the coin was part of an early 20th-century movement toward more artistic designs on U.S. coinage.
Why Is the 1921-S Buffalo Nickel a Key Date?
The economic slowdown following World War I sharply reduced demand for new circulating coinage. Only two mints produced Buffalo Nickels dated 1921: Philadelphia struck more than 10.6 million, while San Francisco produced just 1,557,000. Buffalo Nickel production then stopped entirely in 1922 before eventually resuming.
Compounding the low mintage, relatively few branch-mint coins were intentionally saved by collectors at the time. PCGS estimates only about 8,500 1921-S Buffalo Nickels survive across all grades and describes circulated examples as particularly challenging to locate. This combination of low original production, attrition through circulation, and persistent collector demand has established the 1921-S Buffalo Nickel as a key date for the series.
Key Features:
- Mintage: 1,557,000
- Composition: Made of 75% copper and 25% nickel alloy, providing durability and classic appeal.
- Denomination: 5 Cents
- Mint: S - San Francisco (S)
- Produced by US Mint
- Obverse: Displays the iconic Native American profile designed by James Earle Fraser, symbolizing America's indigenous heritage.
- Reverse: Depicts an American bison, commonly referred to as a buffalo, standing on a mound. Inscriptions include "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA," "E PLURIBUS UNUM," and "FIVE CENTS."
A complete Buffalo Nickel collection is defined in part by its difficult dates, and the 1921-S is one of the issues collectors eventually need to confront. Its low mintage and challenging survival rate give it significance that common-date examples cannot provide, while the VG grade offers a practical entry point into this important San Francisco issue. For anyone assembling a serious Buffalo Nickel set, key date coin collection, or collection of classic U.S. nickels, securing a genuine 1921-S fills one of the series’ most meaningful positions.
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